Glossary

    Theme

    A theme is the design and frontend framework of a Shopify store: it defines the layout, sections and user experience of the storefront.

    The theme renders everything customers see in your store: homepage, collections, product pages, cart. Technically it consists of Liquid templates, JSON configuration, CSS and JavaScript. Content and layout are maintained in the theme editor through sections and blocks, and since Online Store 2.0 on every page type.

    Merchants have three routes: a ready-made theme from the Theme Store (fast and affordable, e.g. Dawn as the free default), a customized theme (custom sections and design on an existing theme's foundation), or a fully custom theme for maximum brand control and performance.

    Economically, the theme is an investment in conversion and maintainability: a well-built theme loads fast, can be maintained by the marketing team without developers and grows with the catalog. An overloaded theme full of app leftovers and legacy code, by contrast, continuously costs performance and development time.

    Shopify development
    • Black-and-white shot of a woman and a man in sportswear standing in front of concrete stepsSMILODOX
    • Hands holding a sage-green memory book with the words This is your story on the coverMintkind
    • Brown leather Groundies Chelsea boots stepping into frame on a concrete floorGroundies

    Related terms

    • Online Store 2.0

      Online Store 2.0 is Shopify's theme architecture that enables sections on every page, app blocks and flexible metafield output without code.

      View term

    • Liquid

      Liquid is Shopify's template language. It connects store data such as products, collections and the cart with the theme's HTML.

      View term

    • Core Web Vitals

      Core Web Vitals are Google's metrics for the user experience of a website: loading speed (LCP), interactivity (INP) and visual stability (CLS).

      View term

    • Headless Commerce

      Headless commerce separates the frontend (the visible storefront) from the commerce backend. The frontend is custom-built and fed with store functionality via APIs.

      View term
    Niclas Eckert - Founder of NICCOS & technical Shopify consultant

    Niclas Eckert

    Founder of NICCOS & technical Shopify consultant

    Niclas Eckert has worked with Shopify for eight years, built his first online store at 16 and advises from a deeply technical founder perspective.

    8 years Shopify600 projects total150 with NICCOS
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